After returning to school, I tried to forget what had happened at the farm, but I quickly realized it was impossible. The world had already shattered my expectations. For some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that danger lurked nearby. It was as if the entire town was surrounded by it. Was it because I had suddenly discovered Kael was a werewolf? It made me wonder if there were more werewolves around.
Evelyn stayed behind at school because her environmental club had activities planned for the day. They were promoting eco-friendly initiatives at the university. “Seraph, go ahead. Don’t wait for me,” Evelyn said, waving me off. She was full of energy, already diving into her next project. But me? Exhaustion gripped me tightly, suffocating me and dragging my mood down. I nodded and headed back to the apartment. I knew I needed rest and time alone to process everything that had happened. I also needed to figure out how to get away from Kael.
As I walked down the street, lost in thought, I suddenly felt someone following me. That earlier sense of unease came rushing back. Damn it, was it that red-eyed werewolf again? Hadn’t Kael said he’d taken care of it? I knew better than to trust his words. Without hesitation, I started running. As I sprinted, I could hear footsteps behind me. I glanced back and saw a boy in a hoodie. He had light brown hair, gray eyes, and a tall frame. He looked like any ordinary teenager, but I knew better. His eyes glowed red, and I instantly recognized him as the monster who had been stalking me.
Images of being killed by the monster flashed through my mind. I felt like a fragile toy in his presence, destined to be torn apart. Why did he take on a human form now, just like Kael? And why was he following me? Terrified, I kept running without even looking back. He chased after me, shouting, “Stop! Stop!” But there was no way I was going to listen to him. I couldn’t stop running.
He caught up quickly, grabbing my arm. “Stop! I won’t hurt you. I’m here to protect you.”
“Stay away from me!” I swung my backpack at him with all my strength, using it like a weapon. The impact made his arm drop, and I took the chance to keep running. The town wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. Before I knew it, I had reached the edge and dashed into the woods. He was still chasing me, relentless.
“Seraphina, wait!” He even knew my name!
“Stay away from me, you monster!” I yelled. Suddenly, I remembered something-Magnus had given me a gun. This was the perfect time to use it. The thought calmed me slightly. I stopped running and began rummaging through my backpack, warning him, “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll shoot you!”
Even with the gun, I was still nervous. I didn’t know if it would work against a monster. I had never hurt anyone before, let alone used a gun. But I had to protect myself. I couldn’t let anyone harm me.
“Listen, I’m not here to hurt you,” he said. But then, he lunged at me. Before I could even find the gun, he tackled me to the ground. We rolled in the dirt, my clothes stained and rocks digging into my skin. Before I could fight back, I saw the tree behind me snap in half. My eyes widened in shock. If I had still been standing there, I would’ve been crushed like that tree.
A roar echoed through the woods. I turned to see a massive bear with glowing green eyes staring at me. God, I had never seen a bear this big. It looked like a grizzly, but its size rivaled that of a polar bear. Its face was twisted in a snarl, and its fangs were terrifyingly long. This was no ordinary bear-it was a monster.
The boy pushed me away. “Run!” he urged. In an instant, he transformed into a massive black wolf, just like the one I had seen before. He lunged at the bear, and the two beasts clashed in a furious battle. The forest echoed with their roars. I stood frozen, stunned by the sight of the wolf and the bear fighting.
“Run, Seraphina!” the wolf shouted, his red eyes locking onto mine. I snapped out of it and turned to flee. The bear tried to chase me, but the wolf intercepted it. This was all too surreal. I needed to redefine the world I had lived in for nineteen years. Right now, though, my only thought was to run.
The forest path wasn’t easy to navigate. After just a few steps, I tripped and fell, tumbling down a slope. I rolled for what felt like forever before finally coming to a stop. My body ached, and when I tried to stand, a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I screamed. It hurt so much. I must’ve sprained it. Damn it, why did this have to happen now? I hated how helpless I was. I should’ve listened to Kael and worked on my stamina.
“Seraphina, are you okay?” Kael’s voice suddenly appeared. He was beside me, like a ghost. I never knew when he would show up, but this time, I wasn’t afraid of him. In fact, seeing him made me feel a sense of relief.
“I sprained my ankle,” I said, leaning against him. Kael reached down and touched my leg. A warm sensation flowed through the injury.
“Try to stand,” he said. I held onto him and got to my feet. To my surprise, my ankle felt fine, as if nothing had happened.